Italians dive into Tiber river in New Year tradition

As the Roman tradition demands every first of the year, four Italian divers jumped into Rome's Tiber River to welcome New Year's Day on Friday.

The four divers leapt off Cavour Bridge, at a height of almost 50 feet (15 metres) above the water, jumping into a cold and turgid river.

A team of firefighters stood by on a boat in the river to pull them out and get them covered after the plunges.

The event is a New Year tradition dating back to 1946, when an unemployed lifeguard who was trying to find work as a stunt man leapt into the waters from Cavour Bridge to advertise his skills.

Since then, it has caught on as an annual event, with hundreds of people gathering to watch the men jump off the bridge.

This year, the government has imposed a New Year's Day lockdown in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, so hardly anyone was able to witness the dive.

The divers also decided to move up the event by two hours to avoid any gathering.

Even with just a few supporters attending, the divers were enthusiastic to keep this tradition alive.

Rome's New Year welcome-plunge had a special message of hope and recovery this year, not only for Italy but for the whole world.

(Image Credit: AP)